The government has announced a new move to provide an advanced form of radiotherapy, which may particularly benefit children.
Hospitals are being invited to bid to provide proton beam therapy, which can be used for patients, especially children, with highly specific types of cancer, that occur in the retina, skull and spine.
The radiotherapy particularly targets tumours and gives a better dose distribution as well as not causing any harm to vital organs.
The news was announced by health minister Ann Keen. She said: 'This is significant news for patients with rare cancers, especially children, as having proton beam therapy will mean that they will receive a better quality of treatment and will not suffer from potential side effects such hearing loss and reduced IQ.'
The National Specialised Commissioning Team (NSCT) has been asked by the Department of Health to hold a competition to identify possible providers of proton beam services in England.
The government says patients who need this treatment currently have to go aboard to receive it. There is currently only one unit in England, in Clatterbridge on the Wirral, but it only treats the less complex eye cancers.
Ros Barnes, who has campaigned for a proton therapy service in the UK since taking her son Alex to be treated in the United States, said: 'I am a great believer in proton therapy as I have witnessed, firsthand, how it is has preserved the intellect and physical well being of my little boy.
'I know now that in the future, little children in England will get the best cancer care on the planet because the new proton centre will be run by NHS staff and that my little boy has, in a small way contributed to it.'
Hospitals are being invited to bid to provide proton beam therapy, which can be used for patients, especially children, with highly specific types of cancer, that occur in the retina, skull and spine.
The radiotherapy particularly targets tumours and gives a better dose distribution as well as not causing any harm to vital organs.
The news was announced by health minister Ann Keen. She said: 'This is significant news for patients with rare cancers, especially children, as having proton beam therapy will mean that they will receive a better quality of treatment and will not suffer from potential side effects such hearing loss and reduced IQ.'
The National Specialised Commissioning Team (NSCT) has been asked by the Department of Health to hold a competition to identify possible providers of proton beam services in England.
The government says patients who need this treatment currently have to go aboard to receive it. There is currently only one unit in England, in Clatterbridge on the Wirral, but it only treats the less complex eye cancers.
Ros Barnes, who has campaigned for a proton therapy service in the UK since taking her son Alex to be treated in the United States, said: 'I am a great believer in proton therapy as I have witnessed, firsthand, how it is has preserved the intellect and physical well being of my little boy.
'I know now that in the future, little children in England will get the best cancer care on the planet because the new proton centre will be run by NHS staff and that my little boy has, in a small way contributed to it.'
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